Recognizing Depression Symptoms In Women

Depression symptoms in women are much the same as those for other major sufferers. Although women are prone to experience certain symptoms more often than men, the biggest difference is that there are about twice as many female sufferers.

Typical systems may include a loss of interest in activities that used to be considered enjoyable, feelings of guilt, hopelessness and a lack of self-worth, that are difficult to justify. Sufferers may also experience disturbed sleep patterns resulting in a desire to sleep more, an inability to sleep enough or interrupted sleep. Victims of depression often lack energy, feel tired and complain of having difficulty concentrating.

Appetite and therefore weight can be affected too. It’s also an area where there is a noticeable difference between the genders. Rather than sleeping and eating less as a man might, a woman will tend to sleep excessively and eat more, causing weight gain.

An example where women experience certain symptoms more than men would be Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is a form of depression common in winter months due to the lack of sunlight. Lack of light is known to make most people feel below par, but actual depression is different in that it engulfs a person’s life, interferes with their ability to function normally and becomes severe and unrelenting with little or no sign of easing.

When intense feelings of sadness go untreated they can become a major factor in suicide. The deep despair that is felt can make a sufferer believe there is no escape from the pain they feel. Talk about death and suicide is not just a warning sign that the person may be thinking about taking their own life, but a cry for help.

Many suggestions have been presented as to why more females suffer than males, with biological differences seeming the most obvious. It is thought that hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy, after giving birth and at the onset of the menopause, may be major causes for many.

Stress is also a known cause of depression, but because females produce more stress hormones than males, the female response to stress is very different. This is made worse by the fact that the female hormone progesterone prevents the stress hormone system from being able to switch itself off as it does in men.

Due to circumstances, often outside their control, women find themselves encountering conflicting and overwhelming responsibilities. Wherever in the world she resides, a woman will experience a relative lack of status and power which can lead to feelings of helplessness and lack of control. These feelings can be magnified by other circumstances that are also beyond her control, like the way society over-values youth, beauty and other physical attributes.

Another gender difference that can lead to serious stress and ultimately higher levels of depression in women can be found in how they are sexually and physical treated. Girls are much more likely to experience some form of sexual abuse than boys, with victims of rape being almost exclusively female. Sexual and physical harassment is something females of all ages encounter throughout their lives and can be a key factor in generating the stress that, in turn, triggers depression symptoms in women.